Dictionary of Losses
by Lomonaaeren
Summary: HPDM slash. Thirteenth fic in the Cloak and Dagger series, sequel to A Reign of Silence. Harry and Draco, in hiding with the Demlan Werewolf Pack, fight to get together the documents they will need to clear their names from the Ministry.


**Title: **Dictionary of Losses

**Disclaimer: **J. K. Rowling and associates own these characters. I am writing this story for fun and not profit.

**Pairings: **Harry/Draco

**Rating: **PG-13

**Warnings: **References to violence, document format

**Wordcount: **1900

**Summary: **In shelter with the Demlan Werewolf Pack, Harry and Draco plan their revenge on the Ministry for betraying them, and their next hunt.

**Author's Notes: **This is the thirteenth fic in the Cloak and Dagger series, about Harry and Draco as Auror partners hunting Dark wizards. It follows "Invisible Sparks," _Hero's Funeral, _"Rites of the Dead," _Sister Healer_, "Working With Them," _This Enchanted Life, _"Letters From Exile," _Writ on Water, _"Evening Star," _The Library of Hades, _"There Was Glory," and _A Reign of Silence, _and won't make much sense without them. This story will be followed in a week by the next longer story in the series, _Mansions of a Monstrous Dignity._

**Dictionary of Losses**

_Dear Ron and Hermione_,

_I want you to know that I'm safe. I can't tell you where I am, because that wouldn't be safe for anyone, most of all the people I'm staying with. They're friends of Draco's. They've treated us okay, with just the reasonable precautions to make sure that no one can tell where the owls come from when they leave. So if there are spells on the owl you get, it's all right, it's just from them. _

_I don't know when I'll be able to come back. The Ministry is hunting me and Draco as twisted, as outlaws. They've declared us insane and Dark, and when we had a chance to defend ourselves in front of a bunch of Aurors and Ministry officials, it didn't go well._

_We still have some friends in the Ministry who are trying to find out for us, among other things, who assigned an Auror to our Corps who almost killed us. I don't know if they will uncover anything, but it's something to hope for, right?_

_Hope you're well, and tell the Ministry whatever you think you need to. I know that you don't know enough about what we did in the last few months to really betray me._

_Love_,

_Harry._

* * *

_Greetings, to Mr. and Mrs. Malfoy_,

_You will forgive me, I hope, for intruding on your privacy, but I represent a pure-blood family who is anxious to hear about a man you recently hired for some execution work. It is a delicate matter, of course, as all execution work is. I hear that he succeeded, and any information you can give me—or any other names, should this particular man refuse to work for us—will be appreciated._

_You may write to Rufus Demalin. Any owl by that name will find me._

_ Sincerely, _

_A well-wisher._

* * *

_A list of things we need if we're ever to be able to go back to the wizarding world:_

The names of the people who approved Elder's transfer to the Socrates Corps

The names of any Aurors who knew that Elder worked for the Malfoys and hid him anyway

How Draco's parents got hold of the information that Elder could be hired in the first place (maybe the letter that Draco wrote to his parents posing as that fictitious lawyer will tell us that)

Blackmail material on the people who hired Elder

Copies of the files the Ministry has on us

A safer place to be than the Demlan land

A way to communicate with Harry's friends that doesn't depend on owls that can be intercepted

More money

More ways to _get _money, anyway

A safe place to meet with Jenkins and Warren and anyone else who can help us find out about Elder and our enemies in the Ministry

* * *

_DAILY PROPHET EXCLUSIVE:_

_THE HUNT FOR DANGEROUS DARK WIZARDS DRACO MALFOY AND HARRY POTTER_

By: Melinda Gravesby

The news of the hour—no, the news of the century—is, of course, the flight of the Dark wizards Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy from their positions in the Ministry, where until this very week they worked as well-respected Aurors in the Socrates Corps. It came out a few days ago that Malfoy and Potter had in fact been using Dark magic for some time. In fact, they are _twisted, _wizards who have been driven insane by the study of the Dark Arts.

"It's a very sad thing," Auror Genevieve Edelstein told your correspondent with a gentle, sad smile curving her lips. "Of course none of us wanted it to come to this, that we should have to hunt two men who have done so much in their time to contribute to the Ministry. But it turns out that their gains are tainted by the means used to attain them, and of course we have no choice but to disown them."

The Aurors are now being sought across Britain, the hunt being naturally led by the Aurors who have the most reason to be feel betrayed, the other members of Socrates Corps, the Aurors Simone Jenkins, Thomasina Warren, Isla Rudie, and Nicolette Macgeorge…

* * *

_To: Rufus Demalin_

_Dear Mr. Demalin,_

_Your gracefully-worded request we have seen fit to answer. We acquired the name of our agent from a man who had been a friend of my husband's for years. He is Duncan Nott, of the prestigious Nott family of Devonshire. I hope that you can make use of this information, although the last we heard, the assassin we hired, one Auror Elder, died in the pursuit of his duty._

_I trust that you will forgive the brevity of this letter. Our lack of an heir has grown urgent, now that my husband is approaching the midpoint of a wizard's life and we still have no child. _

_Sincerely,_

_Narcissa Malfoy._

* * *

_H. and D.,_

_This will be the only owl I can risk sending for some time. But I have three names for you, two people and one a place._

_The people:_

_Auror Edward Montgomery was the one who approved Elder's transfer to the Socrates Corps—without, it appears, going through any of the paperwork that would ordinarily have to be filed before an Auror could move into a Corps with such restricted numbers and specialties as Socrates is supposed to have._

_Auror Hannah Montgomery had your files, and in fact had been gathering evidence of "Dark" activity from you for some time, beginning with the first case you worked together. I've attached a copy of the contents of that file to this letter. It was too risky trying to make a copy of everything else, I'm sure you understand._

_And yes, the Aurors Montgomery are related to each other, first cousins. Their mothers were sisters. I've been unable to discover a connection to Elder yet, but their family's well-established. I'm sure that you'll be able to use this information, at least._

_As for the place that you might be able to go to feel safe, there's one I can name. You're not going to like it, but the nice thing is, you know absolutely that no one's going to find you there. The instant I send off this letter, I plan to _Obliviate _both myself and T. about a certain part of our adventures, and claim that you did it, to protect the "secrets" we learned during that part of the investigation. _

_Go to Cuthbert's Corner. I know it's a disgusting house and full of all sorts of memories of Ernhardt, but I really think it's your best choice. No one except us knows how to find it, and soon we won't. Unless the Ministry hires an expert in Memory Charms to dig into our heads, no one else _can _know, either. And I don't think they will. Thomasina and I have both convinced them that we're in a hue and cry after you because of your supposed betrayal, and quite as eager as Edelstein to see you brought to justice._

_The main reason I think you should go to the Corner, other than the isolated location, is that Ernhardt left records there. You may be able to find something to prove that he did exist and does have the talent that we say he did, or at least that his methods of infecting other people with his blood and making them twisted—or slaves—existed. And the defenses on the house are spectacular. Make them yours, and you'll be even safer._

_Good bloody luck._

_J._

* * *

_DAILY PROPHET EXCLUSIVE:_

_ THE HUNT FOR HARRY POTTER AND DRACO MALFOY: NOT GOING AS WELL AS HOPED?_

By: Rita Skeeter

It is now a fortnight since the hunt for the most notorious renegade Aurors in the history of the Ministry began. It is a wonder that they haven't been caught yet, with everyone in Britain on alert looking for them. I spoke with Auror Julian Okazes this morning on this remarkable fact.

Auror Okazes was a little nervous when I walked into his office, I could tell. "Is this about Potter and Malfoy?" he demanded.

Since we had arranged to speak on nothing less than that very subject, I knew that his pretense that he didn't know what I was there for was simply a charming affectation. I smiled, sat down, arranged myself, and said, "We are. Why do you think no one has spotted them yet, Auror?"

Okazes attempted to draw himself up. His face is not that charming, but it is stern and dignified. "Because they've been keeping to the wild places and avoiding the public places where we would have the best chance to find them, of course," he said. "What other reason would there be?"

I frowned at him and mentioned the concerns that my faithful readers at the _Prophet _have been reminding me of. "But they must be getting their food somewhere, and their clothes. And they couldn't use magic in most parts of Britain without someone noticing, some Muggle. Have you received any call from the Obliviators about strange use of magic in front of Muggles?"

Auror Okazes let me know that he thought Potter and Malfoy are too wise to be caught in such a simple manner.

I then raised the prospect that has been haunting all of us, all the readers that I know are reading along in breathless hope that Potter and Malfoy will be caught soon. "But what if someone in the Ministry is helping them?"

Okazes leaned forwards, and I really thought his hands were going to break the desk with how he pressed them down. "That's impossible," he said fiercely. "The people who would have the best reasons to be reluctant to talk to us, Potter's friends and the other Socrates Aurors, have been fully cooperative. Potter did something so disgusting that of course they would give him up if they knew where he was."

And so there you have it, faithful readers. Aurors Potter and Malfoy are not only dangerous and skilled and wise, but also fully capable of surviving even without the help of faithful friends…

* * *

_Portion of an e-mail message sent by a Muggle, Eddie Shore, to his cousin._

…and I heard what I thought were some weird noises the other night on that part of the shore we always used to think was haunted. Something like the barking of dogs or something. But there was nothing when I went out, and I even got a sense of peace that I haven't had in a long time. If this place is haunted, it's by good spirits.

**The End.**


End file.
